The production of bioenergy from local biological resources and the maintenance of soil fertility seem to have been opposing aims in organic agriculture (OA). It is however, important to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels and decrease greenhouse gas emissions in OA, especially in the context of enhanced integrity of OA. This interdisciplinary project aims at developing new methods and processes for co-production of bio-ethanol, biogas and animal feed based on resources from OA and associated food processing and suggests the outline of a medium-sized plant for co-production of biogas, bioethanol, and animal feed. The project will also design and test a new cropping system for biomass production to be used for bioenergy, while at the same time safeguarding soil quality. The project will analyze the effects of remains from bioenergy production on soil fertility, greenhouse gas emissions, survival of parasites and weed seeds in the manure as affected by bioenergy production. Corporate and socio-economic analysis of the co-production of biogas and bioethanol at different scales will be carried out. The project is organized in six work packages with significant interactions between WPs.
In the following the main emphasis will be on the research involved in the design of a strip intercropping system s for biomass (bioenergy) production measuring their productivity, evaluate their effects on soil fertility and plant interactions (Workpackage 2).
Strip intercropping is defined as the practice of producing two or more crops in strips wide enough that each can be managed independently, yet narrow enough that the strip components can interact. The hypothesis is that the interactions (physical, bio-logical, ecological, management) between components of a system with greater spatial diversity will enhance biomass yield, resource use while decreasing the emissions of GHG compared to sole cropping of the same species.
BioConcens workpackage 2 will particularly focus on three issues:
- Determine the effect of intercropping a grass-clover based perennial forage crop mixture and annual bio-mass crops in strips on the biomass and grain yields compared to sole cropping of the same species.
- Determine the interactions between intercrop border rows and associated mechanism responsible for a potentially improved crop growth resource use compared to sole cropping.
- Determine the effects of green manure from the soil fertility-building strip on the annual biomass crops and the effect of nutrients and residues recycled from biogasification on plant growth.
Strip intercropping system involving either a) Winterrye+wintervetch intercropping or maize grown in close proximity to a perennial soil fertility building strip (diversified grass-clover mixture) in 6x6 m strips in according to dimensions on local farm machinery
The present strip (6 m wide) cropping system consist of a perennial soil fertility building (SFB) strip (mixture of forage legumes, grasses) and a strip consisting of either maize or winter rye - winter vetch intercrop chosen to produce biomass for biogas and bioethanol. All field operations are conducted using traditional farm equipment available at the field site (Copenhagen University Life - 55°40’N, 12°18’E). The perennial strip will enhance soil fertility, extract nutrients form deeper soil layers, fix N2 and compensate for the effect of annual crops on soil fertility and also reduce the requirement for soil tillage. In addition all crops can alternatively be used for feed in organic milk production.
Another idea behind the BioConcens cropping concept is to evaluate different temporal patterns when growing a perennial grass-clover pasture (feed, energy, soil fertility) as compared to a) winter rye + winter vetch intercrop (food, feed, energy) followed by winter triticale (food, feed, energy) or b) winter rye (feed, energy) grown to capture environmental plant growth resources during autumn and early spring and harvested before sowing maize (feed, energy) followed by winter triticale (food, feed, energy). Two circles of the strip intercrop system will be conducted.
Sub-projects within BIOCONCENS:
BIOCONCENS
BIOCONCENS - Greenhouse
Participants:
BioConcens involves a consortium of 6 research groups from Risø DTU, Copenhagen University Life and Århus University (National Environmental Research Institute and Faculty of Agricultural Sciences)
Role:
Risø DTU coordinates the project and is responsible for bioenergy conversion estimates including design for co-production of biogas and bioethanol/protein fodder, all field experimentations, C and N capture and emissions as well as corporate and socio-economic analysis of the co-production of biogas and bioethanol at different scales.
Resources:
BioConcens is linked to the Danish Research Centre for Organic Farming and funded under the research programme: Research in Organic Food and Farming, International Research Co-operation and Organic Integrity (DARCOF III 2005-2010).
Duration:
BioConcens is funded to run from 2007 through 2010.
Web page:
BioConcens has a webpage for further information at http://www.bioconcens.elr.dk/
Employees involved:
Hanne Østergård (Coordinator), Per Ambus (WP 4 manager and N20 Emissions), Lis Brandt (Field technician), Mette Sustmann Carter (N20 emissions), Henrik Hauggaard-Nielsen (WP2 manager and strip cropping site), Zsofia Kadar (Bioethanol), Ingelis Larsen (Laboratory technician), Anja Nielsen (Laboratory technician), Henrik Bangsø Nielsen (Biogas), Lars Henrik Nielsen (WP5 manager and socio-economic system analysis), Piotr Oleskowicz-Popiel (Prodesigner modelling), Jens Ejbye Schmidt (WP 1 manager and bioenergy conversion), Anne Belinda Thomsen (Bioethanol), Mette Hedegaard Thomsen (Bioethanol)
Student projects:
Student projects can be offered in connection to the project.
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